So, I know I'm late here, but just wanted to reassure you that chickens and ducks can live together without any problems. I kept 3 ducks with my chickens for years. If you don't want ducklings there is no reason to have a drake. The ducks would tuck in at night under the raised chicken coop. During the day the ducks hung out with the chickens. They ate the same feed, enjoyed the company and the only thing I needed to do differently was keep an open water source that the chickens couldn't drown in but the ducks could use to submerge their heads. Enter the 2 gallon bucket. Small enough a chicken couldn't drown, large enough for ducks to clean up in. Emptied and refilled daily, and I also provided horizontal nipple waterers for both the ducks and chickens. Cause the bucket even in a day can get gross. If it was going to freeze I would only give the bucket for an hour or so a day. The ducks love the horizontal nipples so all is good. They only got to go swimming on the weekends when I was home for the day. I'd fill a cement mixing tub with water on Saturday and empty it on Sunday afternoon. I'd only let them free range (and access to the "pool") when I was out and about and they gladly went back to the run/coop when needed. They herd very easily.
I think you'll find they are easier to deal with then chickens...just keep the water source somewhere that drains easily, and far away from the coop. Water is the only issue...it makes mud, and if you think pigs like mud - they've got nothing on ducks. HA!
I think you'll find they are easier to deal with then chickens...just keep the water source somewhere that drains easily, and far away from the coop. Water is the only issue...it makes mud, and if you think pigs like mud - they've got nothing on ducks. HA!
